TOKYO: Former Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide again criticized current Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio in an interview published Wednesday in a monthly magazine, saying that Kishida “should have punished himself as well” for a “slush fund” scandal involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s factions.

Suga welcomed Kishida’s decision to dissolve his own faction, but argued that all LDP factions should have been dissolved at once.

The former prime minister warned that the LDP could face an uphill battle in the next general election and may fall from power.

“We must make (the LDP’s leadership election in September) an opportunity to dispel the doomed atmosphere over our party,” Suga said, expressing hope that young party members will run in the party race.

The interview followed an online program on Sunday in which Suga virtually called for Kishida to step down, saying that the prime minister “has not taken responsibility” for the scandal.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to comment on Suga’s remarks. “We are taking people’s distrust in politics seriously and will work to achieve results by continuing to focus on challenges that we cannot postpone,” Hayashi said.

JIJI Press